Myanmar is hoping to lure 7.5 million tourists a year by 2019, an official said Travel to the once-cloistered country used to be reserved for the well-heeled and intrepid, prepared to endure the travails of a country under military rule with patchy electricity and limited communications. But foreign tourists have flocked in since the country began opening up in 2011, with a celebrities such as pop stars Beyonce and Jay Z helping to popularise the message that the country is open for visitors. This year Myanmar is on track to welcome 5.5 million tourists, But challenges remain. Hotels are expensive and often do not meet the standards of more traveller-friendly countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.